PLAID 2.0 - Off Campus

Cookies 'n Cream

2009-07-13T20:15:18Z

Wednesday - [undisclosed location]

My mom and I have had this ongoing inside joke that we should learn how to bake cookies for the car engineers. I know, silly right? We’ll I guess the heat gets to us sometimes, or maybe it’s the radioactive water here in town. Did I ever mention we’re just over the hill from Area 51 and the Nevada Test Site? Of course everyone in town claims there wasn’t any fallout here. I’m not so sure.

Today was a slow day, and I decided early on I was going to take a shot at baking these cookies we’re always joking about. We had separate ideas of course. My mom wanted to put a baking sheet under the hood, on top of the engine, and I wanted to make a solar oven and let them cook in the sun. We decided to try mine first because I had been successful at charring a hotdog in a shoebox solar oven when I was about ten, and thought for sure I could bake cookies if I could cook a hotdog…

It was 119 °F outside today, and the ground temperature made it up to about 165 °F. We have an infrared thermometer because most normal thermometers, that you don’t find in your chemistry class, only go up to about 120. I made my solar oven out of a shipping box from an online website, some foil and a sandwich baggie as the plastic part. It was made with lots of creativity, due to the lack of supplies here in town.

I started putting the cookie dough in as fast as I could because it was windy outside, and my mom was scarfing down the roll of raw dough. Unfortunately the first batch got blown away. I left it on the ground to see which would bake faster, the dough on the hot ground, or in my oven.

The instructions on the tube of dough says to “pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees, and then put the cookies in for 10-15 minutes.” After i put the cookies in I waited a bit and I checked the temperature. Not too shabby for a makeshift solar oven.

I wasn’t exactly sure how long I should leave them in the oven, but I figured an hour was probably enough. I went and got some ice cream while I was waiting, and chased away the birds from eating the dough out on the ground. An hour later I was ready to get out of the heat… the car air conditioner doesn’t work well at an idle and it was getting hot inside. I grabbed the cookies out of the oven, they were a little more than half way cooked, probably the consistancy of pizookie and they were actually pretty tasty!

So that was my day, baking cookies in the middle of the desert. The cookies on the ground just turned to mush, and don’t worry, I put them in the trash before we left. We’ll it’s off to the pool for now. If I grow a third arm, I’m blaming the radioactive water…

Lions, and Bathrooms, and Cars, OH MY!

2009-06-29T19:14:05Z

Monday - [undisclosed location]

Let me tell you a bit about the strange little “town” we’re staying in this summer. I woke up this morning, staring at the popcorn ceiling, with a spring stuck in my back from the motel bed. The ceiling—probably asbestos contaminated—has more glitter than a high school dance team. The walls that aren’t faux wood panels, are a 1960s American interpretation of a Japanese garden. And if you look closely, you might be able to find hidden animals in the leaves or clouds. Wait, let me just show you…

The bathroom is iffy to say the least. The first day we stayed here the motel manager wouldn’t let us use it. Instead, he gave us a spare key to the room next door so we could use that bathroom until they fixed ours. If you compared our motel to the movie Psycho, you’d be pretty close. If that’s not creepy enough for you, the motel was owned by the Bates family once upon a time, and no I am not lying.

The town is… small. I don’t think it’s more than a square mile, which means dining options are limited to the saloon, the gas station, a casino, or a mexican food place. In 1906, this was the most populated town in the whole state, thanks to the gold rush, and like most mining towns, everyone left after the gold rush, and it hasn’t changed much since then. There are wild burro—descendants of the burro brought by the miners—and there are mines still littering the mountains.

Every morning we snoop around town, driving past all the car companies’ top secret garages to check things out and see who’s in town. This morning it was pretty dead, although the gate in front of the BMW garage was open, making me suspicious that they might arrive today. With nobody in town, we take the 50 mile drive to the top secret desert location. Most days we drive at least 200 miles, checking every corner of the desert.

We pulled up to the convenience store, and right there in front of us were about 15 prototype GMC trucks! They have a new Duramax clean burning deisel engine, but my mom’s photographer in another location already shot them yesterday and they’re already up on the web. With no point in shooting more photos, we turned to head back “home.” As I was driving through the parking lot, I noticed someone sitting in the back of an SUV dusting off, what looked like big foot slippers. As I thought how strange that was, and maybe that I could bust the next Big Foot hoax, I made another loop through the parking lot. By the time I got back around he was fully dressed, in a lion costume! Trust me, I don’t think I could make this up, even if I tried. Turns out he and his friend drove in from Vegas just to check things out. They’re part of a furry community in Vegas, and the lion’s name was Qubi. Who would have known I’d meet a lion out here… After a few photos were taken, we headed back to town, and checked out the BMW garage. The gates were locked up, and no cars were there. They’ll be here soon, it’s getting hot out.

After a great cheeseburger—from the mexican restaurant no less—we headed home. We’ll be out again tomorrow, and I’m hoping the beamers will be here soon!

Until next time…

First Friday Art Walk!

2009-04-29T16:13:09Z

Happy reading week everyone! After all the studying we have been doing this year—not to mention the most stressful week of the school year sneaking up on us—I have a good idea for a way to relax this weekend. The first Friday of every month, downtown Flagstaff hosts an art walk. This Friday, May 1, could be your last chance before we all dip out for summer. There are actually 44 businesses participating this week so you can definitely find a few places that interest you!

Flagstaff’s Green Room
15 N. Agassiz St. / 928-226-8669
Offering a “LIVE” interactive art experience; all proceeds to Naturopaths International. Performers throwing clay, painting, sketching. Photography/Fashion show; hair and make-up by Tirzah Salon.
Divinity Tattoo North
111 W. Birch Ave. / 928-774-3646
Good beer, great times, complimentary consultations with Flagstaff’s finest custom tattoo artists, an assortment of eclectic local art for any price range
PASTO - Cucina Italiana
19 E. Aspen Ave. / 928-779-1937
Join us in our Wine Lounge for appetizers, wine specials and wonderful, authentic Italian food. Fine Art Photography by Sylvan Magnus will be on display.
Black Hound Gallerie
120 N. Leroux St. / 928-774-2323
Isaac Caruso is creating and displaying canvases of his spontaneous and imaginative mind. DJ Reflex, Home Brewers Outpost brew, snacks, and Piñata bashing @ 8 p.m.
Rainbow’s End
12 E. Route 66 Ste 101 / 928-774-5535
Photographer Pete Giavali will display his photographs of belly dancers from around the world. Middle Eastern belly dance performed live by the Gypsy Chicks!
Fire on the Mountain Gallery
13 N. San Francisco St. / 928-779-3790
Visit our new retail gallery downtown at Arizona Handmade Gallery. We present a new and wonderful show space. Art, Glass, Paintings and much more…

NAU exploring a "green fee" for students?

2009-04-22T16:55:14Z

Hey Happy Earth Day everyone! Do you have any exciting plans to go plant a new tree, trade your gas guzzling SUV in for a “smart car,” or start a new hobby of gardening? Sometimes even the littlest contributions can make a big difference. So if you don’t have money for a new car and your apartment doesn’t have space for a garden, there are still ways you can make a big difference. A group of students is exploring the possibility of a student “green fee” on campus to support sustainability efforts, such as purchase of green power through APS, increasing energy efficiency on campus, funding sustainability education, etc. A survey has been sent to all students through ASNAU update emails and will run through April. The survey will only take a few minutes and you could win free stuff too just for taking the survey!! Click here to complete the survey!

Happy Earth Day

2009-04-22T16:33:34Z

Upcoming Events during Earth Week:

NAU’s journalism program will be hosting two guest speakers on the evening of Earth Day, April 22. Jennifer McKnight, a graduate of NAU’s journalism program with the environment communication emphasis, will receive an award and speak about her experiences. Bettina Boxall, environmental reporter for the L.A. Times will be the keynote speaker. The event is at 7 p.m. in Room 119 of the Communication Building.

Also on Earth Day, the Society of Environmental Communicators will be holding a “Respect Your Mama” EarthFest from noon to 6 p.m. at the Wilson,Tinsley, Allen, Aspen Quad. They’d love to see students stop by.

On April 23 at 7 p.m. in Ardrey Auditorium, Dr. Rom Coles will be giving the Keynote Address at the NAU Undergraduate Symposium. Entitled Northern Arizona University: Responding in a Time of Global Crisis, the talk concerns the future of the university in the face of severe challenges of many kinds: ecological, economic, political, and social.

A must-see play down in Tempe!

2009-04-21T05:21:33Z

So I was in Tempe this past weekend, and I thought I’d visit my friends over at Stray Cat Theatre to see what they’ve been up to lately. Turns out they’re in the middle of their production of Columbinus, directed by Ron May. I decided to check it out. I was left speechless. Columbinus is a documentary-style play, about the events that happened at Columbine in 1999, created from real interviews, just like a documentary, but on stage. The play throws you right into the classroom and captures the high school “feel” covering all stereotypes, and typical high school conversations. But what we didn’t see coming happened that spring; we all know now what went down on April 20, 1999. The play is intimidating, daring, and terrifying to say the least, going somewhere with my emotions that I never thought I would return to again. The fear of what happened that day was captured in the writing allowing the audience to be enveloped by the terror of what was going on. The play dives into the human psyche, which can sometimes be a dark place. This show is an emotional roller coaster, but it’s riveting. Everyone should experience a show like this, something that has rarely been done before. With the 10 year anniversary just passed ( on Monday) it really made me think about what happened, and how much it has really changed our nation. This is the last week the show is running, and I highly recommend you see it if you can find a way down to Tempe.

Where: Stray Cat Theatre
When: This Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. THIS IS THE VERY LAST WEEK OF PERFORMANCES
How Much: $12 for students and $5 for high school students and teachers

Grand Slam Poetry

2009-04-17T21:53:36Z

Flagslam: GRAND SLAM!

Wednesday, April 22 8:00 PM at Studio 111
Flagstaff, Arizona

The Top 12 poets from Flagstaff will compete to see which 4 will be reppin Flagstaff at the National Poetry Slam in Florida this August!! 2-round slam, non-elimination, same rules as always. 4 winners, plus 1 alternate.

Local Musician!

2009-04-15T17:00:31Z

Brian Benham is an amazing artist from our part of the woods ;) . I was first introduced to him as the typical Flagstaff musician that you see performing in the little coffee shops or at poetry nights, you know, the ones that you think to yourself “why is this guy not signed, he is one of the most amazing musicians I have ever heard.” His music is so unique, it doesn’t sound like anything you’ve heard before. It is mostly associated with the indie genre but he puts his own soulful acoustic twist to the sound. The instrumentals alone are enough to separate him from just another struggling musician, but he writes his own lyrics too. With songs like Lullaby, Won’t Look Back, Live Love, and Waiting, you can be sure that you will be drifting into a new world when you’re relaxed by his music. He has actually been on tour around the country lately but he will be playing two shows in Jerome in May.

A Local Restaurant Featured on Food Network!!!

2009-04-08T15:04:46Z

Our very own Brandy’s Restaurant located at 1500 E. Cedar will be featured on the Food Network’s popular show Diners Drive-Ins and Dives on Monday, April 13th at 7pm! The crazy yellow tipped hair host, Guy Fier pulled up to Brandy’s in his old red Chevrolet SS Camaro convertible to see what this place was all about. I’m sure you’re all wondering what made Brandy’s such a hot spot for the show. Well if you have been there, you know why, the food speaks for itself. But for those of you that haven’t been lucky enough to stop by, Brandy’s is a really cool eclectic place. It’s a mix between an art gallery, a bakery, a cafe bar with endless espresso drinks, and a restaurant. The chefs prepared four dishes for Guy — tequila lime chicken, bistro tenderloin stew, chimichurri flat iron steak and ancho honey chicken — ..yep, all from scratch. So, really no matter what mood you are in, Brandy’s can satisfy your craving. They seriously serve everything from breakfast to dinner! They have a huge wine list with a special on Tuesdays from 5-9 where you can get 1/2 off a bottle of your choice and have happy hour Monday through Friday from 3-5pm for 1/2 off expresso drinks. They have a facebook page and you can find a 10% off coupon on their website.

Friday Night Flicks

2009-04-03T20:45:41Z

Last night I went and saw Dreamworks’ Monsters vs. Aliens. After reading a bad review about the movie the other day, I wasn’t expecting much. Matt (who writes our technology posts) will disagree with me but, this is one of the best animated movies I have seen in a really long time. Monsters vs. Aliens is even funnier for adults than kids, especially with funny references to “Stephen Colbert for President” bumper stickers, and classic sci-fi movies like The Blob, E.T., and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (just to name a few). There are quirky (and hidden) references to past Dreamworks movies too! The best part about seeing this movie is the reaction from young children in the theater who laugh hysterically at the small things. If you have nothing to do this Friday night, go and see this movie, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

April - Sexual Assault Awareness Month

2009-04-01T17:03:28Z

April is an important month for raising sexual assault awareness. Since we live in such a small college town, it’s a great opportunity to speak out. There are a lot of events and activities throughout the whole month in our community.

Here is a quick agenda of events

April 1: Acquaintance Rape Presentation, 7 pm at Morton-Campbell Hall, Khackler@northlandfamily.org
April 7—8: 2 public PEACE Performances 7-8:30 pm, at Theatrikos Theatre Company downtown, 928-774-1662, Info@theatrikos.com
April 21: “Take Back the Night“— City march starts at 5:30 pm at FMC Bridge (On Beaver St. South of Cedar). Campus march starts at NAU’s University Union. March will circle downtown’s Heritage Square and then head to Theatrikos Theatre Company for a “Speak Out” starting at 6:15 pm, jmaniglia@northlandfamily.org
April 22: Denim Day/MARSfest @ NAU’s foodcourt 11 am—1 pm (tentative) University Union Carissa.scarpa@nau.edu
April 24: Clothesline Project @ Heritage Square 6 am—5 pm, on the Corner of Aspen St. and San Francisco, Jmaniglia@northlandfamily.org
April 24: Youthfest @ Heritage Square 5-8 pm Jmaniglia@northlandfamily.org
April 30: Film screening and Panel discussion: Branded (a film about sexual trafficking in the Phoenix area) 7 pm @ Social and Behavioral Sciences Bldg. Room 102. Khackler@northlandfamily.org

Where to get HELP!

Flagstaff has some awesome resources dedicated to helping victims of abuse.

ON-CAMPUS

H.O.P.E (Healing Our Past Experiences) - This is a new support group on campus for sexual assault victims/survivors. It is run by students who have been victimized, dedicated to supporting each other and the community hopenau@yahoo.com.
The NAU SAFE program is devoted to increasing awareness about sexual assault and relationship violence and to encourage healthy relationships through education, advocacy and special events. They are committed to creating a safe and peaceful community where all persons are treated with respect. They have A LOT of great resources and information on their website.
NAU Counseling and Testing Center - Confidential individual, group and couples counseling available to all enrolled NAU students. Students come to the Counseling and Testing Center with a variety of concerns, including sexual assault.

OFF-CAMPUS

Victim/Witness Services of Coconino County - *5200 E. Cortland Blvd., Suite A22, Flagstaff, AZ 86004, 928-779-6163 (business), 928-774-1414 (emergency access through Flagstaff Police Department dispatch). * Provides free 24-hour crisis intervention and advocacy services for victims. Advocates can accompany a victim through a medical exam and offer counseling and information about the legal process. Victim/Witness Services, as administrator of the Crime Victim Compensation Fund, provides forms for financial assistance with medical and other expenses resulting from criminally injurious acts.
NACASA (Northern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault) - *5200 E. Cortland Blvd., Suite B5, Flagstaff, AZ 86004, 928-527-0708. *Provides 24-hour crisis intervention and advocacy services for victims in a victim-friendly setting. Multi-disciplinary team approach to intervention. Team includes: medical professional, law enforcement, prosecutors, social service providers, and victim advocates. Medical/forensic exam will only be completed if a police report is filed. However, an advocate will be provided to any victim regardless of the decision to report. Please contact Victim Witness Services to speak with an advocate.
NORTHLAND is a domestic violence shelter that also offers FREE counseling to victims those who can’t afford it.

For a complete list of resources click here.

The last 2 Weeks to Snowboard!

2009-03-30T16:00:00Z

The dreaded last two weeks that Snowbowl is going to be open are finally here! Even though this isn’t very good news, they have some awesome specials going on. An adult lift ticket is only $30 for ALL DAY! And don’t worry if you don’t have your own equipment, Ski Haus right off of N. Humphreys will take care of you. Surprisingly, even though it’s spring skiiing right now, the conditions are still perfect. To get your last practice runs in for the next season’s X-Games, hurry up and hit the slopes before it’s too late.

FREE Easter Eggs!

2009-03-27T14:48:22Z

From March 13 through April 11, you can stop by our Rent-A-Center in town to pick up some FREE Easter eggs! The cool thing is that all donations you choose to give will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters to help out the kids in our Flagstaff community. The store will match dollar for dollar up to $100,000 dollars! So no matter if you donate one dollar or one hundred dollars, it all helps. You know you can’t wait to get started decorating for easter so why not help out the community a little! :)

To get more info check out http://www.bbbs.org/

Off-Campus Beat

2009-03-25T14:45:43Z

Hey what’s goin on everyone, this is Kayla and every week I’ll be posting new posts about fun stuff to do OFF-CAMPUS! Whenever you’re feeling like you just need a break from campus life, be sure to come back to my blog to find something fun to do with your friends. This is just a good way to get informed about all the things Flagstaff has to offer every week!

Concerts
Restaraunt reviews
Events downtown
Hiking spots
Volunteer opportunities
Parties
Shopping
Bars
Local Music
The best kept secrets of Flagstaff

… and basically just about anything to do with this town!